Spindle apparatus for unwinding yarn bunch



June 1, 1965 EIZABURO NEGISHI 3,186,154

SPINDLE APPARATUS FOR UNWINDING YARN BUNCH Filed Feb. 18, 1963 2 Sheets-Sheet l June 1955 EIZABURO NEGISHI 3,

SPINDLE APPARATUS FOR UNWINDING YARN BUNCH Filed Feb. 18, 1963 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Fiyd/t Y1 1*; Y9 1 .2? P

United States Patent 3,186,154 SPINDLE APPARATUS FOR UNWENDING YARII BUNCH Eizaburo Negishi, 9-3 Oazanakazato, Yono-shi, Japan Filed Feb. 18, 1963, Ser. No. 259,213 Claims priority, application Japan, Oct. 30, 1962, 37/48,!83 3 Claims. (Cl. 57-54) This invention relates to an improved spindle apparatus for unwinding a yarn bunch in spinning machines.

Heretofore, in a spinning machine of the above-mentioned type, in order to cause the spinning yarn, which is delivered from the front roller through a traveler, to be wound automatically about the bobbin on a spindle simultaneously with the starting of the spindle at the time of the succeeding spinning operation following completion of doffing, the method of leading said spinning yarn to the lower end of the bobbin at the final stage of the spinning operation and preforming, beforehand, a bunch of yarn with respect to the said lower end has been resorted to. 1

As is well known, since this bunch automatically slips down onto the spindle during the extraction of the full bobbin (cop) at the time of doifing, at the same time, changing its form into a helically varied bunch and becoming wrapped about said spindle, its lower end supports the spinning yarn which has been delivered from the front roller through the traveler, thereby performing the function of tethering said spinning yarn on the spindle. However, the upper yarn end of the aforesaid varied bunch deformed into a helical shape is a free end of irregular length created when the connecting yarn between said varied bunch and the full bobbin is broken by stretching during the extraction of said bobbin. At the same time, this upper yarn end is caused by the reaction force at the time of breakage to hang down and, moreover, causes the varied bunch to tend to become loose from its upper part. Occasionally, this upper yarn end causes the varied bunch to slip off the spindle, whereby the tethering of the appropriate spinning yarn at the start of the succeeding spinning operation is frequently made impossible. Accordingly, such drawbacks resulting thereby as the troublesome procedure of yarn piecing exist in conventional machines of this type.

Furthermore, this varied bunch, although intended to have a part thereof interposed between the fitting parts of the bobbin and the spindle when the said bobbin is being fitted onto said spindle, sometimes remains and accumulates on the spindle even after completion of its function. For this reason, the fit between the bobbin and the spindle is obstructed at the time of dofling, or the fit of the bobbin on the spindle is caused to become excessively tight, whereby the extraction of said bobbin at the time of the subsequent doffing becomes difficult.

The above-described disadvantages are serious not only because they foster trouble merely at the time of dofiing or at the start of the succeeding spinning operation, but also because this trouble undoubtedly will greatly negate the effectiveness of future developments in the automatization of spinning machines.

Although attempts have been made to overcome the above-described difiiculties by such measures as forming the aforementioned bunch directly on the spindle or resorting to such means of tethering the spinning yarn as described in Japanese patent application publication No. 178/1952, none, as far I am aware, has been entirely successfully carried into practice on an industrial scale. The reasons for this lack of success are thought to be that, in all such attempts, new disadvantages and diliiculties developed, or the mechanical construction tended to 3,186,154 Fatented June 1, 19:65

become excessively complicated to a degree whereby the inherent and desirable features of the spinning machines became deficient, or the improvements became unsuitable for the construction.

In view of the foregoing considerations, it is an object of the present invention in its broader aspects to overcome the above-described disadvantages and difficulties.

More specifically, it is an object of the invention to provide an improved spindle apparatus capable of unwinding a yarn bunch at the time of the final stage of the succeeding spinning operation whereby a remarkable improvement is realized in the manner of tethering the spinning yarn.

The nature, principles, and details of the invention Will be more clearly apparent by reference to the following description of a preferred embodiment of the invention, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which like parts are designated by like reference numerals and letters, and in which:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevational view, partly in vertical section and with parts cut away, showing the entire construction of a spindle apparatus according to the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is an elevational view showing the state of the bunch formed on the bunch cylinder of the spindle apparatus shown in FIGURE '1;

FIGURE 3 is an elevational view showing the state of the yarn end of the bunch being cut off and prepared at the time of extraction of the full bobbin in the doffing operation;

FIGURE 4 is an elevational view showing the state of the bunch on the bunch cylinder, as it unwinds itself therefrom, moving onto the bobbin; and

FIGURE 5 is a plan view indicating the principles utilized in the automatic unwinding of the bunch.

Referring to FIGURE 1, the spindle apparatus shown therein has a spindle 1 supporting a bobbin 2, a bunch cylinder 4 fitted rot-atably on the spindle 1, a wharve 5 of the bunch cylinder 4, a spindle wharve 6 fitted on and fixed to the spindle 1, an endless knife 7 fitted about and fixed to the top of said bunch cylinder 4, and a collar 8 fitted on and fixed to the spindle 1 which is adapted to retain the bunch cylinder and prevent it from rising, and, at the same time, to center the lower end of the bobbin in substantially concentric alignment with the spindle 1 by the fitting of the outer peripheral surface of said collar 8 in the lower inner bore of the bobbin 2. The endless knife '7 may alternatively be formed integrally as a single member with the collar 8, or it may be supported in an intermediate position between the bunch cylinder 4 and the collar 8.

The above-mentioned wharve 5 of the bunch cylinder has a slightly larger diameter than that of the wharve 6 of the spindle. These two 'wharves are driven in the same rotational direction by a common tape 10 stretched thereover, with a slight difference in rotational speeds between the two wharves being due to the above-mentioned difference in diameters. That is, by this difference in speeds, the spindle 1 is caused to advance slightly in rotation relative to the bunch cylinder 4.

FIGURE 2 shows the spindle apparatus in the state resulting from the following operation. A bobbin 2 is fitted onto the spindle 1 of the spindle apparatus of the above-described description a spinning yarn Y is wound about the said bobbin 2 to form a package, which, upon attaining a predetermined configuration, becomes a full bobbin 3; at the same time, ring rail 12 descends to its lowest position; spinning yarn Y is guided onto the bunch cylinder 4 by a traveller 14 supported on a ring 13, which is fixed on the ring rail 12, and is wrapped thereabout several turns to form a bunch 9; then the tape 10 stops; and, simultaneously, both the spindle .1 and thebunch cylinder also stop. That is, the bunch 9 is connected with the lower part of the spinning yarn Y which is delivered from the front roller (not shown) by way of the traveller to the bunch 9 and, at the same time, is connected with the upper part of a yarn Y which is irregularly wound in a spiral path about the outer surface of the full bobbin 3 toward the lower part thereof. One part of the said yarn Y is stretched across lower end of the bobbin 2 and, being stretched over the sharp end of the endless knife 7, become bent.

The bunch 9 is formed in this state, and during its formation, the rotation of the full bobbin 3 advances slightly relative to that of the bunch 9 because of difference in rotational speeds of the spindle 1 and the bunch cylinder 4. Accordingly, the yarn Y subjected to rotation together with the full bobbin is pressed on the sharp end of the endless knife 7, while sliding on said sharp end, whereby the yarn Y is cut. In the case, if the yarn is not completely out off, the yarn Y is pulled positively by the succeeding extracting operation of the full bobbin whereby the press force between the sharp end of the knife '7 and the yarn increases sufficiently to cut the yarn.

That is, as a result of this cutting, the upper part of the yarn Y is retained by the full bobbin 3 and becomes the yarn end thereof, and the lower part of the yarn Y becomes the yarn end of the bunch 9. While said yarn end of the bunch Q is a free end, it can always be prepared to have a short, constant length.

FIGURES 4 and 5 indicate the principle of, and the state resulting from, the following operation. Subsequent to the above-described operational sequence, the full bobbin 3 is extracted from the spindle 1 and replaced by a new empty bobbin 2. At the same time, the ring rail 12 is raised to a predetermined position and the spindle starts to rotate for the succeeding spinning operation. During said operation, the bunch 9 is automatically unwound and transferred onto the newly set bobbin 2 as indicated in FIGURES 4 and 5. In other words, FIGS. 4 and 5 show the state in which the spindle 1 and the bunch cylinder 4 both start moving in the same direction and the spinning yarn Y connected to the bunch 9 is guided to the newly set bobbin through the traveller 14, and the spinning operation in which the yarn is to be wound on the new bobbin 2 is beginning while the bunch 9 is being unwound because of slight difierence of the spindle rotation with respect to that of the bunch cylinder 4.

That is, when one end of the spinning yarn Y becomes the bunch 9 and is tethered to the surface of the bunch cylinder 4 of the spindle, at the same time the traveller 14 for guiding said spinning yarn is raised together with the ring rail to a position facing the bobbin 2, and the spindle 1 begins to rotate, the spun yarn is promptly taken up on the bobbin 2. This operation is exactly the same as that in the case of an ordinary spindle of known type. It is a unique and significant feature of the present invention, however, that the automatic unwinding action of the bunch 9 occurs simultaneously with the start of the succeeding winding operation, as will be described with more specific details hereinbelow.

When yarn is guided from the bunch 9 to the newly set bobbin 2, a bridging yarn Y which extends across the bunch and the bobbin is taken up at its upper part on the bobbin 2 and also is wrapped by a yarn part Y, which has been initially wound about the surface of the bobbin and becomes grasped between the yarn Y and the bobbin at a grasping point P. Accordingly, this grasping point P, moving with the rotation of the bobbin 2, rotates together with the bobbin in the direction of the arrows shown in FIGURES 4 and 5 and, drawing the aforesaid bridging yarn Y rotates with slightly advanced speed relative to the bunch 9, in the direction for unwinding the bunch.

Consequently, the bridging yarn Y progressively slackens and becomes bowed in shape as indicated in FIGURES 4 and 5 because of centrifugal force and air resistance due to its rotation. At the same time, the lower end of the yarn Y unwinds the bunch 9, and the upper end rotates as it is wound about the bobbin 2, whereby the bunch is gradually shifted onto the bobbin until, finally, the bunch is fully unwound.

In addition to the principal aspects of the present invention relating to the method of unwinding the bunch and the spindle apparatus for carrying this method into practice, as described in the foregoing disclosure, the invention, through the utilization of the collar 8 incorporated as one part of the said spindle apparatus, further provides, means whereby the fitting and extraction of the bobbin 2 onto and from the spindle 1 is greatly facilitated, and, moreover, slipping of the bobbin 2 relative to the rotation of the spindle is entirely eliminated.

Referring to the drawings, the above-stated means is provided by a clutch member 17 formed on the upper end surface of the collar 8, a blunt shape of the upper conical part 18 of the spindle such as to prevent sticking of the bobbin 2 thereto at the time of fitting on the bobbin and such as merely to hold the bobbin in centered alignment, and a downwardly facing clutch member 19, for engaging with the aforesaid clutch member 17, provided in the hollow lower end of the bobbin 2. Accordingly, the bobbin 2 is held at its upper end in centered alignment. by the conical tip 18 of the spindle, and, at the same time, the clutch 19 within its hollow lower end is engaged with the clutch 17 on the spindle and is driven thereby, there being no slip, whatsoever, between the two clutch members, that is, between the spindle 1 and the bobbin 2. Yet, when the bobbin 2 is to be removed from the spindle 1, there is almost no resistance to such action, and the bobbin can be extracted easily.

It is to be understood that the above-described means need not be limited to the example described above and indicated in the accompanying drawing. For example, in place of the above-described clutch members 17 and 19, a permanent magnet and a magnetic member can be used so as to hold the bobbin by magnetic force; or, in place of these clutch members, a method of fitting the bobbin onto the spindle in exactly the same manner as practiced heretofore is also possible, wherein the afore-described unwinding of the bunch and the effectiveness of the spindle apparatus remain unchanged.

Although the present invention has been described in conjunction with a particular embodiment thereof, it is to be understood that modifications and variations may be resorted to therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, as those skilled in the art will readily understand. Such modifications and variations are considered to be within the purview and scope of the invention and appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A spindle apparatus for unwinding a yarn bunch in spinning machines, comprising a spindle, a bunch cylinder freely rotatable on said spindle for forming a yarn bunch, an endless knife on said bunch cylinder for cutting the connecting yarn between the yarn bunch and a full bobbin, adjacent friction driving elements connected to said spindle and said cylinder and means including a single common driving tape engaging said friction driving elements for driving said bunch cylinder and spindle in the same direction with a slight mutual difference in rotational speed.

2. A spindle apparatus for unwinding a yarn bunch in spinning machines, comprising a spindle, a bunch cylinder disposed in a freely rotatable manner on said spindle for forming a yarn bunch, an endless knife on said bunch cylinder for cutting the connecting yarn between the yarn bunch and a full bobbin, a wharve for said spindle, a

7 3,186,154 5 6 wharve for said bunch cylinder having a slightly greater References Cited by the Examiner diameter than Of said Wharve for said spindle; and P means including a driving tape stretched commonly over said wharves for driving said bunch cylinder and spindle 2,431,323 11/47' Graybeal 5734 in the same direction with a slight mutual difference in 5 2,676,762 4/54 Baker 5734 rotational peed Kefife 3. The spindle apparatus as claimed in claim 1, includ- 3,067,565 12/62 Jackson ing a collar fitted on and fixed to said spindle for prevent- MERVIN STEIN, Primary Examiner. ing said bunch cylinder from rising. DONALD W. PARKER, Examiner 

2. A SPINDLE APPARATUS FOR UNWINDING A YARN BUNCH IN SPINNING MACHINES, COMPRISING A SPINDLE, A BUNCH CYLINDER DISPOSED IN A FREELY ROTATABLE MANNER ON SAID SPINDLE FOR FORMING A YARN BUNCH, AN ENDLESS KNIFE ON SAID BUNCH CYLINGER FOR CUTTING THE CONNECTING YARN BETWEEN THE YARN BUNCH AND A FULL BOBBIN, A WHARVE FOR SAID SPINDLE, A WHARVE FOR SAID BUNCH CYLINDER HAVING A SLIGHTLY GREATER DIAMETER THAN THAT OF SAID WHARVE FOR SAID SPINDLE, AND MEANS INCLUDING A DRIVING TAPE STRETCHED COMMONLY OVER SAID SHARVES FOR DRIVING SAID BUNCH CYLINDER AND SPINDLE 